Many people ask: "How can I carry on practising the Form when it varies so little, day after day, month after month, year after year? Doesn't it ever get boring?There are some Sifu's that answer - with a raised eyebrow and a supercilious expression: "It is never boring" they insist, and then add that by asking the question you have revealed how little you know about Tai Chi: "The Form is always different" they say, and "if you really focus on your breath, your posture, your energy then you will always be practising a different form. If YOU find it boring, then YOU are doing it wrong."To these people I have but one thing to say....Hmmm. - read on.....

​Yawning in Ward-off Left.

Why is it that Teachers tend to squirm so much when confronted by questions of repetition or boredom. There is no doubt that the Form is repetitive. Once you have mastered Ward-off Left, I defy anyone to practice the move for the rest of their lives without yawning occasionally.

Let's not deny what our students feel, let's try to accept that and go with it for moment. Yes, its true that you could vary the Form with location for example - doing the Form under a waterfall in a tropical jungle is not going to be the same as doing it in the kitchen next to a pile of washing up! But for most of us - the reality is that we WILL BE doing it next to the washing up.

To deal with the issue of repetition we must not simply deny its presence. It must be welcomed as a question on the minds of students and not slapped down with condescending comments about lack of understanding. We must grasp repetition - as something positive as well as potentially negative. For it is through repetition that we gain familiarity. Once familiarity is found, and slapped on the back like an old friend, then we can decide how best to deal with it.

​We have two options:

1. The traditionalresponse - if not always constructive - is the "buckle-down approach": Live with it we are told and just get on with it. Stop complaining, focus on "your inner state" and accept the wisdom from past masters who have lots of certificates which show they have attended courses run by important people. According to these certificate holders, if you practice the Form every day for the rest of your life, then you will gain "immeasurably" in a number of rather vague categories roughly related to broad concepts of health and spirit. And there you have it. However, these are just words. No more useful than the words on the certificate hanging over the entrance to your training hall. Words that are debated and discussed, and then either swallowed or spat out according to your posture. How do they help your Form? Good question......

2. The Evolutionaryresponse - and somewhat contested - is the: Play with the Form Approach. Explore it and alter it. Do it on the other side, do it backwards, or start in the middle and work to the front. Play with another emphasis - more yang, less yin and vice versa. Try it with no arms and with just legs. Try it blindfolded in the sun, try it in the darkness of night. Try and do it naked, or in the entrance to a supermarket (not at the same time). Do it at your grannies funeral. Do it in front of an animal and watch for a reaction. Play with with different versions: The Cheng Man Ching version is a good example. Take a look at William C. C Chen's variation of his Form, then take a look at Dr. Chi's variation and combine the best of each. (Check out Youtube for these examples).

Stagnation versus Evolution​

In short, create. Because if your relationship with Tai Chi is not a creative one, then it is a stagnant one. And this does far more harm to the art than the risk of diluting a posture by playing with a new variation. And remember, above all else:Don't be dissuaded by the angle of your Sifu's eyebrow.

If your sifu should get in a humph about your evolutionary activities, remind him/her that all the above mentioned practitioners created their own versions of the style by adapting what they learnt from others. Yang Lu Chan adapted the version taught by the Chens. Yang Chen Fu altered the whole emphasis of the version taught by his grandfather. It is natural to evolve. It is against all the laws of nature to stagnate.

Want More Content like this? Follow the New Path to become an 21st Century Urban Warrior

Contrary to popular belief, the teapotmOnk (paul read) is neither a mOnk nor a teapOt. He is, however, a writer on Tai Chi, speaker, course-creator & teacher with more than 25 years of experience. He can be found wandering between Andalucia (Spain) & Devon (Uk). More here.​Contact him here or keep in touch, subscribe for some great Tai Chi stuff delivered to your inbox. ​